p. 811 | Wolf Lake and Ligonier by S. H. Lane

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, December 23, 1884

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 61, No. 51

Wolf Lake and Ligonier

By S. H. Lane

Indiana.

Wolf Lake and Ligonier.

Last July I received a written challenge from Eld. Hammond, the Baptist minister at Wolf Lake, to discuss the Sabbath and Sunday questions, also the inspiration of Mrs. White’s visions. Eld. H. came to Wolf Lake last spring, and soon began a tirade of abuse against Seventh-day Adventists. He was so insulting in his talk, and made so much fun of the writings of Sr. White, that he disgusted the people generally. He threatened to prosecute all outside of our people for doing the least thing on Sunday in the line of work. Had not the law been in our favor, he would have arrested our people for laboring on that day. He became so domineering and meddlesome that people were glad last fall when he concluded to move a few miles into the country. When he was leaving, a cannon was fired as a signal of rejoicing. This occurred after the arrangements to debate were made.

Our debate began Dec. 2. The Baptists, having but little confidence in Eld. H., at first decided not to open their meeting-house, and the trustees of our church offered ours for the debate; but just before the time for us to commence, the Baptists opened theirs. The house was crowded at each meeting, and many stood up.

We discussed the Sabbath question during five meetings. He started out by boasting of how much he knew of the Hebrew and Greek, how well he was acquainted with our publications in general, and how he had by his arguments disorganized our churches in his travels; claimed the seven days of creation were long periods of time; that the Sabbath was given to the Jews; that the Lord’s seventh day was man’s first day; that God’s seventh day has never ended; that those who keep the first day now are observing the original seventh day; and that the world is round, and that man cannot keep the seventh-day Sabbath. He admitted that the “Sabbath was a part of the moral law, and a transcript of the Divine Mind.” Most of his time was taken up by abuse of the rankest sort.

His contradictory positions were easily answered, and I had ample time to preach straight Sabbath discourses, which opportunity was improved to the best of my ability. I never before met a man so defective in a general knowledge of the Bible.

On Sunday night, Dec. 7, we commenced the Sunday question. In his first speech Eld. H. took the position that as in the old dispensation they circumcised on the eighth day, it was typical of the first-day Sabbath; and that the first day of the Jewish feasts, which he said always came on Sunday, was also typical of the first day. Then he read from “Early Writings” of Sr. White concerning the ark which was seen in heaven, ridiculing for several minutes the idea of an ark being in heaven. He then claimed that every time the Saviour met his disciples after the resurrection was on Sunday. We had no trouble in setting aside such arguments, and then explained nearly all the texts which speak of the first day.

We readily proved that John in A. D. 96 saw the ark in the heavenly temple (Rev. 11:19), and noticed that when Eld. H. read from Sr. White’s works, the people paid much better attention than when he addressed them.

We read in John 21:1–14 that the third time Jesus met with his disciples after his resurrection he found them fishing, and gave them directions how to catch a large number. If this was on Sunday, he set them a good example for fishing on Sunday.

In his next speech he abused the Adventists in general, the writer, and Sr. White in particular. He stated that on one occasion his opponent visited a family in the country, and that while seated at the table he remarked that there was pork enough on the plate to condemn a thousand souls, directing it to be removed, and that the family eat no more of it. They pleaded in regard to the matter, and he finally stated that he would pray and sleep over the matter. In the morning the family told him that he might go to perdition with his church—they proposed to eat pork.

While Eld. H. was thus speaking, an intelligent lady stepped to the stand, and whispered to me that it was at her house that I remained over night, and when the proper time came she would like to make a statement. In my reply I called on the lady to speak, and she stated that Eld. Lane never preached in their neighborhood but once, and that her husband invited him home to remain over night. Knowing that he used no pork she cooked none—had none on the table—and used no lard in cooking; and she could truthfully say that Eld. Hammond’s statement was false in every particular.

The debate was announced to continue the next night, but we were much surprised the next day to find that the trustees had locked the church, and that Eld. H. had left the town without saying a word to the writer about it. Thus closed, in the midst of the Sunday-Sabbath question, the long-looked-for and much-talked-of debate. The people came at night, and lo! no discussion. We rang the bell at our church, and I spoke to a crowded house. Continued nearly one week after the debate, and left the church much strengthened.

Eld. Rees was with me and aided much in the meetings. Eld. Covert held a few meetings before the debate, but was called home by sickness. Those who belonged to no church were friendly, and donated to us $27.

Either the writer or Eld. Rees held meetings Sabbaths at Ligonier. All is harmonious in this church, and our meetings were good. Some interest was manifested by those not of our faith. The church are taking hold of the Signs canvass. Thus the good work moves on.

S. H. Lane.